Miguel Caro Quintero

Miguel Angel Caro Quintero
Born	Miguel Angel Caro Quintero 1963 La Noria, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, Mexico
Occupation	Illegal drug trafficker.
Known for	Drug lord.
Partner	Rafael Caro Quintero
Notes Arrested in 2001 and extradited to U.S. on February 25, 2009.[1][2]

Miguel Angel Caro Quintero was born in La Noria, Badiraguato Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1963. Caro Quintero is believed to have been one of the leaders of the now extinct Sonora Cartel.^[3]

Sonora Cartel

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) states Caro Quintero created the Sonora Cartel from remnants of the Guadalajara Cartel, which was co-founded by his brother Rafael Caro Quintero. Rafael Caro Quintero was arrested in Costa Rica in 1985 in connection with the torture and death of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar.

In 1989 Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo was arrested, causing the splintering of the Guadalajara Cartel into the Sinaloa Cartel, Tijuana Cartel and Sonora Cartel.^[4][5]

Arrest

Caro Quintero was previously arrested in 1992 on charges of tax evasion, he was found not guilty, which the DEA attributes to the use of threats and bribes by Caro Quintero. While imprisoned, it is believed Caro-Quintero is still running the Sonora Cartel, where he is being held on charges of racketeering, drug smuggling and money laundering. Caro Quintero was arrested in December 2001 in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. Prior to his arrest he has repeatedly stated he is innocent of the charges and has accused the DEA of pursuing a vendetta against him for his brother Rafael Caro Quintero's, alleged role in the death of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena. Miguel Caro Quintero is noted as having called into a radio station to profess his innocence, stating: "If I had a cartel, I'd have a lot of money and my brother wouldn't be there (in jail)"; he claimed to be an innocent rancher. He further stated he does not believe his brother was involved in the killing of the DEA agent.^[4][5][6]

Miguel Caro Quintero was arrested in Mexico in 2001 and charged with smuggling cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. for over 10 years.^[2] He was extradited to the U.S. on February 25, 2009.^[7] After his indictment Miguel Angel admitted trafficking more than 100 tons of marijuana, and sending more than $100 million to Mexico.^[8] Miguel Angel Caro Quintero pleaded guilty and he was sentenced on February 4, 2010 in Denver to 17 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute marijuana in Arizona and racketeering.^[9]

See also

• Mexican Drug War
• Guadalajara Cartel
• Sonora Cartel
• Sinaloa Cartel
• Tijuana Cartel
• La Familia Cartel
• Gulf Cartel

References

1. ^ Liddick, Donald R. (2004). The Global Underworld: Transnational Crime and the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 33. ISBN 027598074X. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Miguel Caro Quintero
3. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/04/miguel-angel-caro-quinter_0_n_449654.html
4. ^ ^{a b} Jesse Helms, ed (1999). Mexican and American Responses to the International Narcotics Threat. U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, Narcotics and Terrorism of the Committee on Foreign Relations. pp. 61,136,137. ISBN 0788180088. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Weiner, Tim (December 22, 2001). "Suspect in Vast Drug Ring Held in Mexico; May Be Sent to U.S.". New York Times. 
6. ^ Extraditan a EU a hermano de Rafael Caro Quintero
7. ^ Liddick, Donald R. (2004). The Global Underworld: Transnational Crime and the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 33. ISBN 027598074X. 
8. ^ "Mexican cartel leader pleads guilty". CNN. October 24, 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/10/24/mexico.cartel.plea/index.html. 
9. ^ "Mexican drug kingpin convicted of drugs and racketeering in Colorado and Arizona gets 17 years". Associated Press (Los Angeles Times). February 4, 20120. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-cartel-leader,0,2633445.story. Retrieved 2010-02-05. ^{[dead link]}

Persondata
Name	Caro Quintero, Miguel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1963
Place of birth	La Noria, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, Mexico
Date of death
Place of death